Letters to the editor | Address debt

I would like to bring attention to a topic that has been disregarded and does not seem to be a pressing matter. I must be veracious about the rising issue of student debt.

In 2013, 66 percent of Penn State students ended up with an average of $35,430 of debt due to student loans. If students prioritize paying off loans, some of them will look for the highest paying jobs instead of pursuing a job about which they may be passionate, such as teaching or nursing.

What I have noticed is that college has frighteningly changed from an education to an industry over the past 30 years. If we want to see a bright future for our young people, we must decrease student loan debt.

Personally, I will be leaving college with a significantly large amount of debt and if I don’t focus on paying it off, it will exponentially increase. I will have to hold back on plans to achieve the “American dream,” such as making a down payment on a house, because student loan debt characterizes my foreseeable future.

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As part of the Degrees Not Debt Campaign at Penn State, I demand that our administration take this matter seriously. President Barron, please stand up in favor of college affordability by sending a letter to Congress in support of the Student Aid Bill of Rights and the necessary parts of the Higher Education Act.